Osprey in Sherborn, MA!

I almost fainted when I saw this Osprey fly over our heads yesterday.  We were at a pond in Sherborn, Massachusetts in the middle of November.  There shouldn't be any Osprey here!  Thank goodness my good friend Pam was there with her camera ready!  Pam - who has never before photographed a bird in flight -  was able to get some outstanding photos to prove we saw what we saw!

I was jumping up and down with excitement, but neither Pam nor Carolyn are birders.  They never heard of an Osprey, so it wasn't that much of a thrill for them to see one fly over a pond in Sherborn in November.  As for me, I still can't believe that I saw him - and I still can't believe that these gorgeous shots were taken by someone who has never photographed a bird before.

From very far away I thought it was a GBH; as he came closer I decided it had to be a Great Black Backed Gull because it couldn't be anything else . . . I didn't recognize my summertime Cape Cod friend until he was practically overhead!

If Pam hadn't taken these amazing shots, I probably wouldn't have felt confident enough to report this sighting on eBird.  I get very intimidated by the warning messages and the comments required when reporting a rare bird.  With such indisputable proof in hand, however, it felt great to confirm and submit seeing an Osprey in Sherborn in November.  Rare Bird Alert - with pictures posted on The Nature of Framingham blog!

Birding with Socrates

 Birding at Callahan State Park in Framingham is always fun.  Birding at Callahan State Park with Socrates is a skill I've yet to master, however.  That's why I'm so proud of catching a few photos of a Great Blue Heron today.

Of course, Socrates is far and away the best dog in the universe.  (He's also so adorable that he attracts attention everywhere we go).  There is nothing he loves more than running through field and forest at top speed, chasing after rodents and looking for canine playmates around every corner.  Today he had a terrific time!

 Socrates made a new friend and truly had fun racing around with the pup.

He bounded in and out of the pond and did his best to get filthy dirty.  He did a good job of it, too!

In between breaking up some overly energetic entanglements with other dogs and screeching at Socrates not to jump on infants and toddlers, I managed to catch a glimpse of a Great Blue Heron hiding in the reeds.  Even this photo is quite an accomplishment considering the small lens I was carrying and the chaos all around me!

When Socrates came too close, the Great Blue Heron took off across the pond.  He was gorgeous!

Even his reflection was lovely in the afternoon sun.

The little dog pond that is usually such a madhouse suddenly became a vision of loveliness.

Despite the mud and the mishaps, Socrates and I had a wonderful day!